Charles Amrich is trying to get back on the April 9 ballot as a mayoral candidate in Island Lake by submitting paperwork Monday to fill a vacancy in his slate.

That vacancy, of course, was created by an electoral board's Feb. 4 decision to disqualify Amrich as a candidate because of a $174 debt to the village that wasn't paid before he signed critical campaign paperwork.

Working with a new lawyer, Amrich and his supporters filed resolutions to fill the open mayoral slot on the "For the People" slate with the Island Lake village clerk's office and the Lake County and McHenry County clerks.

"It's something we need to do to stay on that ballot," Amrich, said of his latest tactic. He was the town's mayor from 1985 to 2005.

State law says a vacancy in a slate can be filled within eight days after the event creating the vacancy.

In the new documents, Amrich claims the vacancy was created Feb. 19 when Lake County Judge Margaret Mullen dismissed Amrich's appeal of the earlier electoral board's decision.

"We feel that it should be allowed," Amrich said.

The village's attorney is looking into how to proceed with Amrich's filing, Clerk Connie Mascillino said. McHenry County Clerk Katherine Schultz said she's sent Amrich's paperwork to the state's attorney's office for review.

Amrich's removal from the ballot left incumbent Debbie Herrmann as the lone mayoral candidate. She said she wasn't surprised Amrich is trying to get back in the race.

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